Beauty Reviews, Tutorials, Tips & Tricks

How to Create Your Perfect Foundation

I have spent the better part of a year trying to find a perfect foundation. One that covered my redness, lasted at least 10 hours, didn’t make me too greasy, didn’t accentuate dry patches and was my perfect shade. After trying what feels like almost all of the foundations in Sephora and Ulta I found 3 different products that have become my holy grails. And using those 3 I am able to mix my perfect foundation.

Through a lot of experimenting, I discovered mixing was the key. Whether is takes you 2 or 3 formulas, find what works for you. If you have formula you love but it’s too dark then mix it with the same formula in a lighter shade. Maybe you have one you love but it just doesn’t have enough coverage. Mix in a foundation that is more full coverage. If a foundation is too matte, no problem, mix in a more luminous one. Think outside the box and find what works for you.

These are my 3 holy grail products that let me go from light coverage to medium coverage to full coverage.

This product is what makes the base for all of my different concoctions. This is my holy grail and what I had spent almost a year searching for. The most exciting part is that it’s only $28! I know that might seem expensive, but when I’ve tried $40, $50 and once in a bout of insanity, a $120 foundation…$28 seems amazing!

This comes with an oversized doe foot applicator. If I use one applicator’s worth I get a high medium coverage. If I want full coverage then I go back in and put a little bit more on the areas that I want more coverage. Mainly around my nose where I have redness.

This foundation will last a solid 10 hours on my dry to combination skin. I usually need to blot and powder my t-zone mid day but that isn’t anything that bothers me. As a bonus, you can add more at the end of the day to freshen it up without it getting cakey.

My main issue with this foundation is that it is just a little too dark for my skin. I’m hoping it will be perfect once I get a little sun in the summer. While it is still winter however, to make it absolutely perfect I need to mix it with something lighter.

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50 Shade Fair

I had bought this a few months ago and liked it but ultimately returned it because it didn’t have enough coverage for me. At the time I was look for a FULL coverage foundation. I recently was looking for something a little lighter for the summer and every day and ended up repurchasing it. This gives you a light coverage with one pump or a very solid medium coverage with 1.5 pumps.

This gives the skin the most beautiful and natural look. It really does look like your skin but better, the name does not lie. I like to wear this on days when I am running errands or going to be in the sun and don’t want heavy makeup. The SPF 50 is also really amazing because this isn’t greasy at all. The one gripe I have is that it does not last very long, maybe 5 hours tops sitting in an office. That’s why I reserve it for times when I don’t need my makeup to stay looking flawless all day.

I mix this in with my Clinique foundation to help lighten the shade and the coverage. Once I have spread one doe foot applicator of foundation on, I will take half a pump of this and dot it all over my face. This helps lighten the Clinique foundation and make it look a little more natural and skin like. The Clinique foundation gives me the coverage and long lasting qualities that I look for and mixed I get the right shade and finish.

I didn’t have high hopes for these and I almost gave up on them, but I’m glad I didn’t. It is suggested to add a couple of drops to a primer or moisturizer to customize your own foundation. I never quite found the right mixture and was thinking of returning them when I decided to try them with my Clinique foundation.

Once I have spread one doe foot applicator of foundation on, I will put 1 drop on each cheek, a drop on my forehead and 1 drop on my chin and nose. This gives me full coverage and I mean FULL coverage. It lightens the Clinique foundation enough to give me my perfect shade. Since the COVER FX drops are pure pigment it doesn’t make my makeup look cakey at all. This mixture stays on all day and looks as flawless as I think is possible.

I am glad that my hunt is over and that I have found the foundations that can get me through any situation. Now, these prodcuts and mixes work for me, but each person as different skin types and concerns. I recommend playing around and finding what works for you. Sometimes, it takes mixing different formulas to find it.

BONUS

If you have a foundation that is perfect in every way but is just too dark you can also mix in a white foundation. This will lighten the foundation without altering the foundation itself. The two I have tried are Manic Panic and Stargazer.